Grave concealing device



April l2, 1932.

mnuzumw W. C. EVANS GRAVE CONCEALING DEVICE Filed Aug'. 2.5, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet, l

Immun s i i E i i l E i i nu u' un 'nu-num. 1.1.1.1.

April 12, 1932. A W* C. EVANS 1,854,124

GRAVE CONCEALI NG DEVI C13V Filed Aug. 25, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wir; f .r l l v @ttor/nuja.

April 12, 1932. v v C, EVANS 1,854,124

GRAVE CONCEALING DEVICE Filed Aug. 25, 1930 5 sheets-sheet 3 Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNI-TED STATES vurILLIAivr c; EVANS, or CASEY, Iowa` :GRAVE ONCEALING DEVICE yA'pplicaticn led August 25, 1930. Serial No. 477,666.y

u This invention relates to a device designed for use in connection with graves, the primary object of the invention being tol provide meansfor concealing the grave while the casket `is being lowered thereinto.

Another object of the inventionis to providea device of this character having a `frame covered with material simulating grass, K means being provided for connecting thede- 1 vice to the usual casketY lowering device, to

causethe concealing `device to be automatically released` at one side thereof, after lthe casket has reached a vredeterinined point in l the grave, to permit t e casket to move to the I5 bottom of the grave.

. A further object-of `the invention is to conneet the concealing device to the casket lowering device to cause the concealing. device to be elevatedvfromthegrave as the casket descends into the grave.

With theforegoing and other objects in view which will appear asthe description proceeds, the invention resides kinthe com- 2-5 bination and arrangement ofpartsja'ndin the detailsv of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precisefembodiment of the invention herein disclosed,zmay be made within the scope of what is claimed,` without departing Jfrom thel spirit of the invention.

Referringl to the drawings Figurel 1 is a plan view of a casket lowering. device equipped with aconcealing device as constructed in accordancerwithrtheinvention.

Figure 2 is a sectional viewV taken. on line 24-2 of Figurel.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the casket lowering device, illustrating thev grave concealing device as being elevated.

Figure 4 isa plan view illustrating'the adjustable frame of the concealing device.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view throughone of the tubularmembers of the i5 casket? lowering device, illustrating the manner ofconn'e'cting one side of the grave concealing device thereto. Y

' Figure 6 isa plan view thereof. u

Figure 7 is Van enlarged sectional View '60 through'theY tubular member of the'casket lowering device, at the opposite side of the casket loweringdevice.

Figure 8 is a plan view thereof. u

Referring' to the drawings in detail, the casket lowering device is indicated generally by the reference character 5 and includes hori- Zontal supporting members 6 to which the lowering straps' 7 are secured, the supporting members being mounted for rotary movement, so that the straps mayunwind to lower the casket into the grave. f

The concealing device comprises a-i'rame formed of tubular corner sections 8' and central tubular sections 9, the tubular sections 9 havinginwardly extended tubular sections 10, as clearly shown by' Figure 4 of thedrawings. R'ods Il extend into thetubular cornerk sections 8, and are secured within the tubular corner sections, by means of the set screws 12, so that the corner sections may bev adjusted towards and away' from each other, to adapt the device `for use inconnection with graves of various sizes. Y

Rods 13- connect the central tubularmembers 9 with 'the corner sections 8, and-are yheld intheir positions of adjustment by means of l the screws 14. A rod indicated by the reference character 15 has its ends positioned within the inwardly extended tubular members 10, to permit of adjustment ofthe central tubular sections 9, with respect to each other.

Loop members indicated by the reference character 16 extend from the rame'of the concealing device and afford means whereby supporting. straps may be -secured to the frame. y

This frame is covered with a covering indicated by the reference character 17, the covering being of a construction to simulate grass, so" that when the concealingdevice is positioned on the casket lowering device, and the casket is placed thereon, the graveV will be con- 'cealedby'the device, to the 'end' that it will appear' as'though the casket is'resting on solid 95 ground.

` Secured to one of the supporting'mem'bers 6, are' straps 18'which are treated with a suitable material to clause thev straps to adhere to the supporting member onl which they are po- `sitioned, so that thee-straps will rotate with wo the supporting member. As shown, the straps are provided with buckle-s having tongues 19, the tongues 19 being positioned within openings of the straps 20 associated therewith, it being understood that these straps 20 are positioned at opposite ends of the frame, but connected with one side of the frame. Straps 21 are connected with the loop members 16 at the opposite side of the frame of the concealing device, the opposite ends of the straps 21 being secured to the opposite supporting member, as by means of the straps 22 that are shown as secured to the supporting member. Thus it will be seen that due to this construction, the straps 2l and 22 may be wound on the supporting members to support the concealing device connected therewith, at a point directly under the casket.

A When the casket is being lowered, it is obvious that the straps 2O and 21 will unwind from the supporting members and that when the straps 2O reach positions as shown by Figure 5 of the drawings, the straps 2O will slide over the tongues 19, releasing the straps and allowing the frame of the concealing device to swing downwardly to a position as shown by Figure 3. '5

Owing to the fact that the straps 2O and 21 Vare comparatively short, it will be obvious that as the casket continues to be lowered into the grave, the straps 21 will be wound on the supporting members with which they are connected, causing the concealing member to be elevated to the surface of the grave automatically as the casket is being lowered. l/Vhen the concealing member has been elevated, it is hooked into the hooks 28, where it is supported until the casket reaches the bottom of the grave.

It might be further stated that the covering of the trame embodies a length of cloth material which is stretched over the frame, the

vcloth material being provided with loop members 24 and 25, at the sides and ends thereof,

the loop members being designed to receive the hooks 26 at the ends of the coiled springs 27, so that the covering is stretched taut over the frame.

I claim:

1. A grave concealing device comprising a frame, a covering having loop members secured thereto, coiled springs having hooks at their ends to be hooked into the loop members to Adraw the covering over the frame, and means forremovably securing the covering to the frame.

2. In combination with the rotary supporting members of a casket lowering device, a grave concealing device comprising a trame, straps secured to the sides of the frame, the straps at one side of the :trame being wound von one of the rotary supporting members to unwind when the casket lowering device operates to lower a casket into a grave, means for connecting the straps at the opposite side of the frame, to the second supporting member, to wind the latter straps on the second mentioned supporting` member to elevate the grave concealing device, and a covering for the frame.

3. In combination with the rotary supporting members of a casket lowering device, a grave concealing device, straps connected with the grave concealing device and wound on the rotary supporting members to normally hold the grave concealing device at the top of the grave, said grave concealing device adapted to move into the grave when the casket is lowered to a predetermined position, and means for securing the straps at one side of the grave concealing device to the rotary supporting member at onev side of the casket lowering device, to wind on the rotary supporting member at the opposite side of the grave concealing device to elevate the grave concealing device -when the casket reaches the bottom of the grave.

4. In combination with the rotary supporting members of a casket lowering device, a grave concealing device comprising a frame of a length and width to cover the grave with which it is used, straps for connecting the grave concealing device to the rotary members of the casket lowering device, means for removably connecting the straps to the rotary member, at one side of the casket lowering device means or securing the straps at the opposite side of the frame to the rotary member at the opposite side of the casket lowering device, to cause the rotary straps to unwind when the grave concealing device reaches a predetermined position within the grave, and the second-mentioned straps adapted to wind on the rotary members to elevate the grave concealing device.

5. In combination with the rotary supporting members ot a casket lowering device', a grave concealing device comprising a body portion, straps at the sides of the body portion and wound on the rotary supporting members to normally hold the grave concealing device in its active position, said straps adapted to unwind to lower the grave concealing device when the rotary supporting members o' the casket lowering device oper- 115 ate to lower a casket, means for detachably connecting the straps at one side of the trame to the body portion to automatically release the body portion, and the straps at the opposite side of the body portion adapted to elevate the body portion upon continued rotation of the supporting members of the casket lowering device.

6. In combination with the side rails of a casket lowering device, a grave concealing device comprising a frame, straps connected to the frame and wound on the side rails, said straps adapted to unwind to lower the grave concealing device when the side rails are rotated in one direction, and means for connect- WILLIAM C. EVANS. 

